


Lost Toys

by 1000PaperCranes



Category: Toy Story (Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gen, I Just Saw Toy Story 4 and Just BOOM, No Beta: We die like mne, Post-Movie: Toy Story 4, Written In One Hour, very post
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-15
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:26:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23151676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1000PaperCranes/pseuds/1000PaperCranes
Summary: Who knew the absence of one toy could mean so much?
Relationships: Buzz Lightyear & Woody Pride, Jessie/Buzz Lightyear
Comments: 2
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I do not ship Woody and Buzz, but you can if that makes you happy. They live in a highly communal society, multipronged relationships would be plausible. Just, y'know, anatomically improbable.

Time, to Buzz’ shock, passed both too fast and too slow without Woody. His best friend was gone, off to some new calling. Woody was no longer one child’s toy; he was every child’s toy. Buzz imagined Woody in all manner of increasingly crazy schemes, finding kids for lost toys and carnival prizes, but it didn’t make the time go faster.

Suddenly, six years had gone by. It was hard to tell if that was a lot or hardly anything in the neigh-immortal life of a toy, but it was still a surprise despite how painfully long it had taken to arrive. Forky and Karen Beverly had been thrown out years ago, identified as the trash they were made from some time in third grade. Bonnie had made other friends, unconsciously replacing the plasticware creations long before she found them behind the bookcase.

Bonnie had nearly grown out of toys. Most of them spent their days in the closet. The hours of panic and worry had subsided with the realization that Bonnie just didn’t play like that anymore. The stuffed animals she had crocheted herself adorned Bonnie’s bed, cuddled and occasionally talked to, but not played with. Buzz had watched from the closet, holding Jessie close as she cried, the realization that they would all soon find themselves in a box or a bag settling over the closet like cloying blanket. But that had been years ago, as well.

“Hey, do you have any old toys?”

Bonnie had also made human friends. Kiki was a funny looking girl with braces and slanted eyes in a dark face. Her wide smile was infectious, and Buzz liked her.

“Actually… Yeah!” Bonnie answered, heading for the closet. “What do you want them for?”

With one last terrified glance of reassurance Buzz and Jessie went limp.

Come on Kiki. “My school is having a toy drive. A lot of the families can’t afford Christmas presents.” Turning around too fast, Kiki stumbled over her own gangly legs. She was a full head taller than Bonnie and deep in the awkward stage of adolescence. “They only want the ones that can be cleaned up like new. We’ll have to wash them.”

The girls bolted away from the closet, collecting supplies to wash Bonnie’s about to be former armada of toys. Buzz looked at Jessie. He could be cleaned easily, but she was made of cloth.

“Buzz?” Jessie shivered. “What if I’m too dirty?”

“You’re not dirty,” Buzz assured, though he wasn’t honestly sure. He spent every day with Jessie. If she’d changed, he was unaware. “You’re perfect.”

“I hope you’re right,” Jessie whispered. She folded herself into his arms, clinging tightly, and that’s when Buzz realized that they’d likely be separated regardless.

Minutes later they were carried into the bathroom by Bonnie and Kiki, and their friend Minty.

Buzz’ batteries, long dead, were removed and he was dropped into the bath with Rex, the Mr. and Mrs., Slink, and all the other hard toys.

“How do we wash this one?” Kiki asked, picking up Jessie.

“I don’t know,” Bonnie answered. Buzz felt instantly cold, despite the warm water. “I never figured that out.”

“I can do it!” Minty said, grabbing the Yodeling Cowgirl. “She’s pretty.” It came as little surprise that Minty, with her puff of curly red hair and too-freckly face and arms, would identify with Jessie. Minty dumped Jessie in the sink, then set off for more supplies.

“Is this a real Buzz Lightyear?” Kiki asked, not really distracting Buzz from his frantic concern for Jessie no matter how hard he tried to think of something else. She lifted him from the soapy water, turning him over and over before beginning to rub the dirt and dust from his joints with a rag wrapped around her thumbnail.

“Are there fake ones?” Bonnie asked after considering the question, scrubbing crayon off Rex.

“I don’t know.” Kiki dunked Buzz and her rag back in the water. “– made Buzz Lightyear in forever.”

“Well… I got a lot of my toys from Mister Davis. I think Buzz was one of them, so he’s old.” Buzz didn’t _feel_ old.

“Wait.” Kiki rested her arms on the bathtub, goggling at Bonnie. “You mean Mister Davis the history teacher?”

“What?” Bonnie asked, defensive, dropping Rex back into the tub. She picked up Trixie. “He wasn’t always a teacher. It’s not like I remember him.” Buzz wasn’t sure that Bonnie _didn’t_ , based on her tone of voice.

“What’d I miss?” Minty asked, pushing a bucket of laundry supplies across the floor.

“Bonnie used to hang out with Mister Davis.”

Minty turned and stared, eyes wide and mouth gaping. “No. Way.”

“I was three.” Bonnie pouted, trying to hold in a very adolescent sulk.

“Oh.” Minty immediately turned her back, focusing on Jessie and the sink.

Kiki giggled. “See?” She reached out, ruffling Bonnie’s hair with a sudsy hand. “You’re still cooler than us, no matter how weird you are.”

Reluctantly, Bonnie smiled. “Yeah, okay. I guess I don’t have to be super cool.”

“Those kids aren’t any fun anyway,” Minty assured, very carefully measuring out white powder.

“Yeah,” Kiki agreed, looking sadly at Buzz. “Those kids are just as mean to each other as they are to us.” She gently wiped the rag over his face. “What do you say, Buzz; save the universe from bullies?”

“Did Emma hit you, again?” Bonnie asked, concern for her friend overtaking any lingering embarrassment.

“Yeah! Busted her knuckles on my braces.” Kiki grinned brightly. She whipped around to show Bonnie her hidden weapon. “I got new bands. They’re rainbow!”

Did Buzz mention he liked this kid?

Kiki put him down gently in the bath as the girls exclaimed and gossiped. He couldn’t see the sink anymore, but Minty was still working diligently. She could come over more. That would be fine.

Though it didn’t seem that there would be a more. Buzz was clean and shiny, almost as good as the day he was opened. Good enough to give to some child. Alone. The rest of they toy washing passed by in a haze. Finally, the girls picked them all up, shaking off the water and carrying them back to Bonnie’s room. They were spread out on the floor on towels to dry while the girls went outside.

“Buzz!” Jessie howled as soon as the door slammed shut. “Look at me! I’m so pretty!”

Buzz sat up slowly. Everything felt wrong. “Yeah.” He forced a laugh. “You’re beautiful, Cowgirl.”

Jessie stopped short of bowling him over. “Buzz? What’s wrong?” She collapsed to her knees. “I know I’m a little soggy, but I’ll dry.”

Buzz took her hand, cutting off the ramble. “It’s not that.” He smiled, taking in just how bright and clean Jessie really was. “You’re stunning, Jess.” If anything, she looked more concerned. He pulled her close. “Can you be quiet? You won’t like this.”

“Okay,” Jessie breathed. He felt her steel herself. “We’re going to be separated.”

“What?” Jessie lurched, trying to reel back even as she forced herself to whisper, but Buzz held fast to the base of her skull. “What are you talking about?”

“Jessie.” Buzz pushed their forehead’s together. “Jessie, it’s a toy drive. Each child gets _one_ toy.”

She slumped, latching onto him once more. “I know,” she whimpered. “I was pretending it would be different.”

Suddenly, Buzz had a terrible idea. He hugged Jessie tight. “Let’s get lost.”

“What?” He let Jessie pull back just far enough to look him in the face. “What do you mean: get lost?”

“I’ve already said goodbye to Woody, I’m not saying goodbye to you, too.”

Jessie just blinked at him, but after a very long moment when Buzz was sure she would say no, she smiled. “Alright, Spaceman, to infinity and beyond.”

“To infinity and beyond,” Buzz whispered back. Jessie laid her head against his shoulder and they enjoyed their time in the sunlight.


	2. Chapter 2

The perfect opportunity to get lost didn’t present itself until the last possible moment. They were in a box, loaded into the back of the Miyazaki’s station wagon. The three girls had packed them up after dinner and were now headed somewhere. Where was a surprise, according to Kiki’s mother. The toys would be dropped off at Kiki’s school in the morning.

Buzz did his best to ignore the girls’ speculative chatter as he watched the streetlamps tick by. Where would they wind up? How would they escape? The first most obvious answer had been to jump out Bonnie’s window, but that didn’t get them any closer to a livable life as lost toys; it would have just made them muddy toys. Not that mud was a problem, but if someone had found them before they’d figured out what to do with themselves, they would definitely have landed in the garbage.

The lights of a carnival appeared overhead.

No.

It was nearly impossible but… stranger things had happened.

“Jess?” Buzz hissed.

“Yeah?” she whispered back.

“Grab a jacket. We’re going for a ride.”

“Buzz, are you crazy?”

“This is it. This our chance. All we need to do…” The doors slammed. “Is get out of the car.” The hatch opened.

Grabbing the belt on Minty’s jacket as it whisked over the box, Buzz looked over to see Jessie clinging next to him. As soon as they cleared the latch, they let go, dropping to the ground and rolling beneath the car. Jessie and Buzz made a break for the bushes as the girls called their goodbyes to Mrs. Miyazaki. Then the car was gone, and it was final. They were _lost toys_.

“Buzz, what are we doing?”

Buzz turned away from the dangers of the parking lot, taking in the worried look in Jessie’s eyes. “I know there’s no reason to think they’re here, but Bo Peep seemed to think the best place for a lost toy was the carnival.”

Jessie looked him over shrewdly. Her expression softened into an indulgent smile. “I miss them, too.”

Buzz smiled back. Whatever happened, they’d be okay as long as they were together. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to look for him?”

“Not a bit,” Jessie agreed.

“Let’s start with the carousel.” The last time Buzz had seen Woody, he was on top of a carousel. If nothing else, it would give them a good view.

The isles were packed with people, but this particular fair had strung the midway attractions with crisscrossing strands of lights. The bare bulbs put out a fairly strong yellow glow, keeping any upward looking human from seeing the toys tiptoeing along just inches above. Not that humans looked up.

The carousel was in the center of the fair. The Ferris wheel was at the opposite end from the gate. Food stands lined the outside, supplying the carts that squeezed between the games. Dozens of rides made multicolored swirls in the web of lights. The air smelled like fried sugar and was filled with the screams of children.

Not a bad place. Not a bad place at all. Pretty.

But also, not the carnival where they had left Woody.

There had never been any reason to think it would be.

Buzz swallowed a sigh. He stared out over the carnival, blocking out the sounds of roustabouts hawking games of chance disguised as games of skill. He tried to block out the pit of despair cramping his stomach, but failed. He’d known Woody wouldn’t be here, that they’d never see each other again when they said goodbye, but he’d still had hope. “Hope is a four-letter word.” Stupid, heartbreaking hope.

“Hello is a five-letter word.”

…

It couldn’t be.

It could not be. Time had stopped because Buzz had been melted in a freak lightning strike at the top of a carousel. Dozens of children were screaming and burning below as he fused with the crown finial. Panic was breaking out. Fire. Pandemonium. Toys, alive and scrambling for their stuffing, trampled underfoot. Firetrucks. Helicopters.

“Buzz?” That voice…

A hand landed on Buzz’ shoulder. It felt like Jessie’s but… not. “Buzz, is that you?”

“Of course, it’s me!” Buzz wheeled around, burying his face in Woody’s soft chest. “What other Buzz Lightyear would climb a carousel looking for a mangey Sheriff Woody doll?”

Woody slowly returned the hug. “You were looking for me?” He sounded faint, a little stunned.

Buzz nodded, squeezing him tighter. “I missed you,” he mumbled into plaid fabric. Woody smelled like fryolator smoke and grass clippings. It was all so foreign and surreal, but somehow it felt like coming home.

 _Home_.

Buzz would never say goodbye to home again.

“I missed you, too, Buzz,” Woody whispered, curling into the embrace. “I missed you, too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the first one, but it just refused to get longer.

**Author's Note:**

> I just watched Toy Story 4 for the first time and was completely blindsided by how much I HATED Woody and Buzz being separated. Toy Story 5, which they'll make in 2032, will be the epic story of how Buzz and Woody meet up again. In the mean time, this will have to do.


End file.
